SHAI (Sephardic Heritage Alliance Inc.) and UPTC (United Parent-Teacher Council) will be holding a forum, Support Students’ Whole Identity Growth During College Transition and Beyond, on Tuesday, May 31, at 8 p.m., immediately following the PTO meeting at North High School, 35 Polo Rd.
During this forum, visiting college administrators and Superintendent of Schools Dr. Teresa Prendergast will consider challenges and practical resources for students with diverse cultural, religious, ethnic, socioeconomic, gender and sexual identities from the time they embark on their college journey through adulthood.
SHAI began this year’s panel-planning discussions with the public school’s administration, guidance departments and parent leadership with anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism on college campuses in mind. They deliberately broadened areas of concern to contemplate and capture issues related to gender, sexual identity, ethnicity, race, religion and disability—all subjects of bias protected by Title IX.
The result is a top-notch panel of college administrators working in the fields of diversity, student life, social work and psychology. During the forum, they will address issues that arise on campuses and will share resources, tools and processes available to students if they face bias on campus.
Panelists include Prendergast; Perry Greene, PhD, associate provost, Faculty Affairs & Institutional Diversity, Adelpi University; Nancy S. Kaplan, EdD, associate provost, St. John’s University; Carol A. Lucas, PhD, LCSW, director, Counseling & Support Services, Adelphi University; Lynn Schwartz, LCSW/BCD/CASAC, director, Counseling Center, LIU Post; and Claudia Andrade, MSW, director, Student Advocacy & Prevention Awareness, Hofstra University.
Moderators will be Rebecca Sassouni, Esq., vice president, SHAI, chair, Legislative Committee, UPTC, and chair, Shared Decision Making Committee, NHS; and Lori Beth Schwartz, chairperson, Total Community Involvement Committee, UPTC.
The event’s Planning Committee includes Joanne Chan, copresident, UPTC; Raymond Eshaghoff, president, SHAI; Pargol Khadavi, vice president, SHAI and UPTC; Rebecca Gottesman, chairperson, SHS Guidance Department; Sarah Moss, copresident, UPTC; Michael Neary, chairperson, NHS Guidance Department; Prendergast; Sassouni; and Schwartz.
Refreshments will be provided courtesy of SHAI and translation equipment will be provided by courtesy of Great Neck Public Schools.
